Friday, August 14, 2009

The return of the Lockerbie bomber to Libya would boost Colonel Gaddafi's appetite for triumphalist showmanship

Simon Tisdallguardian.co.uk, Thursday 13 August 2009

".....A key driving force behind this steady rapprochement is growing British business interest in Libya. BP has invested roughly $1bn in oil and gas exploration there while other oil majors and EU governments, notably France, are also in on the act. Britain is already supplying missiles and air defence systems to Tripoli under a 2007 agreement......

Leading a business delegation to Libya last year, Lord Digby Jones, Britain's then trade and investment minister, described the country as an exciting emerging market.

"The vital oil and gas sectors are the mainstay of Libya's economy. BG, Shell and BP are working hard and productively with Libya's National Oil Corporation," Digby Jones said. Business opportunities for British companies in key sectors including financial services, defence, aviation, ports and airports were also being explored, he said......"